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Sacred Council
Call of Midnight The night air, chilled as it was, seemed far colder this time of year, after all the mild weather the citizens of had, at least for a time, come to enjoy. But like all good things, such weather was doomed to end. The full moon overhead was bloated and orange, like a pumpkin hung in the stars themselves. The town itself seemed quiet and empty, except for the occasional late night shopper trying to grab a quick drink and a few motorists trying to get home after a late night at work. It was life as usual, even at this time of year and this time of night. A young woman scanned the streets, hoping to come across one such late-night commuter. Her eyes enabled her to see clearly though the dim and dark spaces between streetlights, some of which were flickering, likely from dying bulbs or a shorted power supply, with ease. In the glow of a light nearby. A man in a suit walked out of a nearby store, arms loaded with cases of imported beer. Likely, the man had gotten off of work and decided to unwind with alcoholic drinks. His steps gave the young woman the impression that he was already intoxicated to some degree. Perhaps not as noticeable to others, but her trained eyes, used to watching for drunkards like this, picked up on the invariable signs, a sway that most men would not carry themselves with and, barely visible movements of the pupils. Noticing a figure in the distance, he called out. “Hey! Mind helping me? I need to get home and I can’t carry my drinks all the way there.” The woman, who had been waiting for just such an opportunity to present itself replied quickly. “No, not at all.” She pitched her voice as if it were an act of generosity rather than a means to an end. It would only be seconds before she had the information she desired. Not wasting time, the woman walked up to the slightly intoxicated man, who began to walk to her and had stopped beneath one of the lights to catch his breath. In the light, her features were evident to the man. Her skin was pale, as if she hadn't seen sunlight for a while, blue eyes (although one was somehow lighter than the other) and most shockingly, what he could assume was naturally pink hair. Despite the chilly night, her attire was more fitting of warmer weather, a simple brown turtleneck, sleeveless overcoat a skirt and knee high boots. Light reflected off of a piece of metal hanging from her shoulder. She raised her hand and faster than he could ever perceive, she knocked his cases of beer away. “Listen to me,” she began, loving the look of fear on his face, “You’re going to die, not tonight, but if you keep drinking that garbage, I’ll bet you won’t live to see your kid’s eighteenth birthday.” The man took only a few moments to register the fact his beer had just been scattered all over the road. “I don’t have a kid and wouldn't give a shit about one if I did, stupid bitch. Why’d you knock my drinks out of my hand?!” he was getting belligerent. “Then this is going to be much easier on me. I’m going to beat you up, drink your blood and when the cops decide to ask what happened, you tell them you got beat by a scary girl with pink hair. I’m sure you know they’ll laugh at you, even call you a liar. Now, I’ll offer you a choice, just to show how reasonable I can be. You can tell me where I can find someone or else I’ll do to you what I just said I would.” Without even a second thought, the woman lifted him into the air with one hand, showing a massive amount of strength for a woman her size. “I’ll tell you anything, just please let me go!” the man yelled, obviously wanting to be put safely down. He was afraid of the woman in front of him, something changed in her voice changed, coupled with the sudden lift, revealing to him she wasn't a normal person. He began sobbing in fear. “Oh, good. Tell me where I can find the Ishida family.” her response was quick, all the more proof that she had a motive for this. All the man managed to say was he didn't know before he felt them, two needle-like pricks in the side of his neck. The woman had bit down, hard enough to draw blood. The man couldn't even scream as a feeling of euphoria coursed through him. Although he didn't know it, he was just bitten by a vampire, and not just any vampire. The Queen, Myst Kagekyo, ravenous with hunger after a long journey. Only a moment later and Myst dropped him, spitting and sputtering. Even the minor amount of alcohol in the man’s system was enough to make her ill. “Get out of my sight, filthy-blooded man. And learn to sober up.” With that, she walked away, ready to have to search the entire town if she had to to find her friend’s home and perhaps fill her need for blood as well. “Why did I have to keep my phone in my pocket during training?” she wondered to the night sky, as if wondering would erase the fact the night didn't go as planned. Interlude Reflections Settling back into routine was... different. The lens that I had viewed the world for my entire life had irrevocably changed, nothing was the same anymore. My pride, the foundation on which everything I had ever done was shattered- by my own hand. It was a necessary sacrifice, in order to defeat an evil so terrible it threatened to consume the world. But it didn't make it any easier. A few weeks ago, a demon sought to ascend into a god, and to do so would have required the sacrifice of tens of millions of people all over the world. I was.. weak. In a previous battle I had lost my spiritual powers, leaving me as a simple albeit skilled human. I joined up with the PSDA; a privately owned group of spiritually aware investigators, and put a stop to its plan. We shut down its human allies and organizations who were manufacturing a demonic crystalline substance that acted as a transceiver to the central power source. The Tower of Babel. Located in a dream realm only those who resonated with the sin of pride could hope to ascend its stairs. There we fought our way to the top, battling humans, and demons alike. At the end we faced off against the demon itself- Abraxas. I had become powerful. The sin of pride had swelled within me like a lover, its embrace had gifted me with more power than I ever had. In my hubris I thought I could challenge Abraxas and defeat him on my own. My folly cost a great man his very life. Realizing my arrogance, I implanted the seed of Abraxas' demise. A fragment of the demonic crystal that we had reverse engineered using the one thing it could never stand; humility. From there I drew upon the combined might of my Japan, our pride- our humility, and defeated him once and for all. It was a humbling experience. The tower however had achieved its purpose. The collective energy of millions gathered in one central location, all embodying one emotion created a new being. It called itself.. Metatron. It was... beyond beautiful.. and terrifying to behold. Light more brilliant the sun shone off its indistinct form, and its voice resonated deep into my soul, like hearing the chorus of those million voices. Everything changed. It merged with ADA. My ADA. But then she was never mine to begin with was she? I digress. ADA changed, now Guardian ADA, she is... something else. Not a Zanpakutou, not even a normal spirit. Things have been different since then. Maybe its because of the experience we shared, maybe its because that a man I respected died because of my foolishness, regardless I've changed. I'm reaching out more to the PSDA, providing intel and help to new spiritually aware humans. Despite everything ADA hasn't changed... much. She's more humble than before but that's not surprising. She no longer refers to me as "master". At least not respectfully. Some things never change. Reunion Myst let her mind wander, as it often did. She thought of her bodyguard Kain Daisuke, Queen Katsumi Scarlet and her Newborn Reikon Kyuuban Kōnaki Yurīroka. She left those three behind in order to seek out her friend, under the pretext of simply going on a hunt. She recalled the look on Kain's face when she told him to stay behind and supervise Kōnaki's training, which took precedence over her own life. Unlike any of her prior Newborns, Myst felt the guilt eat at her. Kōnaki hadn't asked for the life of a killer, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and as her Sire, Myst was more or less obligated to protect her, or delegate one to the task if she were unable to for whatever reason. That guilt remained even if her reason for being in town to search her friend was to fulfill that obligation. Coming across a phone booth, she got an idea. Find the hospital the Ishida family owned. After all, the odds were good that her friend, who was the son of the current head of the aforementioned family, would either be helping out there, or someone there could give her directions. The night was ending in only three hours, and like all vampires, Myst had a weakness to sunlight. Not that it caused a spontaneous human combustion, but rather it weakened her powers greatly. She'd need to find shelter soon, or use her mansion hidden in the shadows to wait out the possible risk of attack in broad daylight, but that posed a problem. The trail would go cold. Once she entered the booth, she began flipping through an available phone book, scanning the medical section to find the hospital's number. Upon finding it, she picked up the receiver and whistled a high note, one that would allow her to place a call free of charge by overriding the circuits the phone line connected to. Once she was sure the ploy worked, she punched in the number and waited for the other line to pick up. --- Being stripped of one's spiritual powers allowed Ryuichi to re-examine his protocols for investigating spiritual activity. Without the innate ability to actively monitor spiritual activity he was forced to develop other avenues of detection. It was no surprise that he re-purposed the Denreishinki into a mobile platform, by inserting its code as a hidden program into the local systems of the traffic camera's, and the cell phone radio towers. With this he could monitor the entire city, obtaining data feeds and alerts from nearly any part of the city. Thus he was already mobilizing when his network pinged the presence of a spiritual entity- a powerful one at that. To his surprise and dare he say amusement he found it to be none other than an ole friend searching for... prey. At least that was his first thought. That is until he picked up her chatter, and realized the true purpose of her outing this evening. He had been tempted to rendezvous with her but stayed his hand, feeling somewhat guilty over having not contacted the woman in ages. It was yet another reminder of his arrogance; as a human he could have- should have reached out to his allies but had stubbornly refused to do so. It was just one more thing he would have to rectify. Focusing the camera he saw what book she had been looking through and frowned. He was perplexed at why she had not deigned to call his cell, and briefly entertained the idea that there might be an imposter. "Her vitals match our records, in case you were wondering." He spares his partner a wary glance. ADA smiles back knowingly. "You're so predictable." She teased. "Peeved that I anticipated your reaction?" He wouldn't give her the benefit of voicing his irritation out loud. "No, but if you were going to do that, you could have rerouted-" "Already did." She interrupted with a self satisfying smirk. Briefly he ponders whether humility always had such biting sarcasm. Picking up his phone he flips it open. "Hello Myst. It is good to hear from you." When Ryuichi’s voice came on the line, Myst’s heart skipped a beat. At least he was safe after all the time they were separated. “You knew it was me? I should have expected that from you, Prince of Quincies. It’s good to hear from you too by the way. It’s been too long. Look, I need a place to see you. Before you think I’m after anything, I promise you, I just need my best friend. I’m in a lot of trouble Ryuichi, and you’re the only one I can trust outside of..." She let the words fade. “I’ll explain everything when I see you. Just tell me where you want to meet.” Her voice was shaky, slowly revealing her mental state, despite her best efforts at hiding it. Her thoughts wandered again while she waited for Ryuichi to respond, this time to the threats looming, Wolf Rain and the mysterious hunter who waited an eternity in shadow for this moment. With most of her kind in a single location, it would be easy to reduce their population to less than five. Her only hope was that Katsumi and Kain alone were enough to hold off any attack that came, if one came. That would be the important thing, that the two strongest know vampires in history were there in case of such an emergency. It was that hope she had that prevented her from simply rushing back. Her discomfort and desperation were evident the moment she spoke. But there was something more, an undercurrent hidden in her tone, a slight quiver in her inflection. She was under an enormous amount of stress. He knew there were other vampires, and that Myst was likely affiliated with them, which meant something changed, something she could not share with them. But why? "...you’re the only one I can trust outside of..." It was not as though she was in trouble, but... His eyes widened in understanding. Given her power, it was obvious that Myst would eventually be offered a position of authority, and the responsibilities that come with it. So something was happening to her and the other vampires. For the first time Ryuichi felt the divide that existed between them as different species. Myst was an exception but that didn't mean her brethren shared her restraint. But they were human once too were they not? And himself... would he even be human once the dust settled? Regardless he owed it to Myst, not because of her aid in stopping a monster, but because she was... a friend. His entire thought process took no longer than the span of a few heartbeats, his answer was warm and assuring. "Of course Myst, just give me a moment." He concentrated, feeling the flow of the world around him, its energy coursing through his mind, filtering through his body, and resonating with his soul. Yes there it is. He tugged at the power, allowing its brilliance to wash over him, as he descended into the wellspring of energy. Numbers, phrases, words singed within, guided by his gentle hand until the flowed outward, twisting and distorting the world. Myst felt her world stop abruptly, a second passed or maybe an eternity. The world shook. Before her very eyes, reality seemed peel away revealing an archway into the void. She recognized the technique, Ryuichi's like technique. But the last time he cast it... it was too risky, too long-winded, requiring immense preparation. Yet now? Barely a moment had passed since he last spoke, before this appeared before her. "Step into the gate Myst. I've prepared a meeting place for us. Do not worry, it is warded against intrusion, you will be able to speak freely. I'll meet you on the other side." With that he hung up. Taking a deep breath, Ryuichi stepped into his own mirror portal, bathing in its light. When it died down, he was in a grassy plain with a single blossoming tree atop a hill. With a casual wave of his hand, energy coalesced forming a table and two chairs. Taking a seat he gestured idly summoning forth a tray of cookies and tea. And waited. Myst could feel the world bend around her in a single instant, space being torn. Even before she saw the shimmering void opening, she knew only Ryuichi could have created the gateway, something in her memories found the faded glow welcoming. Knowing that her friend waited on the other side, she returned the receiver back into its cradle and walked through the swirling opening. The next thing her eyes saw was the polar opposite of the cityscape she left behind. A green field with a lone tree. If indeed this place was warded, her senses couldn’t tell, but perhaps that was a defense in and of itself, being unaware the place was protected. Not that it mattered to her, she trusted Ryuichi’s words. If he said the area was safe from those threatening her, then nothing short of a deity could break in. A few moments after appearing on the plain, Myst saw Ryuichi, standing next to a table, not more than a quarter mile away from where the glowing portal deposited her. At this distance, it would only be a matter of seconds for her to cross using her Chimai technique even in her current state. She could feel the flow of blood in her body, mixing with her spiritual energy. Accompanied by the sound of bats taking to the skies, she vanished from her original location, only to reappear at her friend’s side. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting, Prince of Quincies.” she teased, kneeling in a mock-curtsey. Ryuichi regarded her with amusement, smiling brightly at her introduction. Which was strange, Myst had never seen Ryuichi smile like that. Smirk? Yes, but never smile. The light in his eyes was different than before, where it was once cool indifference now? Now it was warmer, friendlier, as if the icy shell that surrounded him had finally begun to melt revealing the human beneath. He stood bowing his head in return for the gesture, before grasping her hand and lightly brushing his lips across her the soft edges of her knuckles. Straightening his back smirked at her confounded expression. "Please, its just 'Ryuichi' to you." His tone was welcoming, his voice less harsh, less... stern than she remembered. Still, it was a comfort she desperately needed, especially given her current circumstances. Proffering the other chair for her to sit, he sat down pouring tea for them both. "Myst, I know you have a lot going on," he began, sipping his tea. "-but feel free to relax. So tell me, what have you been up to since we last met?" Sitting opposite Ryuichi, Myst took a deep breath and tried to relax. "I'll keep it as brief as I can, for brevity is the soul of wit. After we killed that hybrid between our races, I had to escape. I was never so badly battered in my life, so I was naturally scared, terrified. Not long after I recovered, I met a powerful Reikon, an Elder named Kain Daisuke. Kain heard the rumors I started about me being a queen and found them rather...disrespectful. He revealed a few key facts about what he and I are, and the nature of our kind’s relationship to that of your own, the Quincy. It may sound strange but our kinds have been at war for the better part of twelve thousand years, which started in Atlantis. That was the first bit he chose to impress upon me. The second, was that he served a true Queen of Night. After all the time I spouted off about my power, he dropped that bombshell on me. I was, as you could expect, a tad put out. However, in between history lessons, Kain did impart some of his own knowledge in combat, including seven spells that only vampires may cast. But, if I may skip over that for now, I need to tell you about the Queen of Night, the Goddess of Blood, Katsumi Scarlet.” She paused for a moment, unsure of where to begin concerning her connection to Katsumi. Even she didn’t really know how to describe it. Finally, the words came to her. “Katsumi was the first of us, and as such has seen the dawn of man, as well as the rise of cities and nations. Because she is the first, the entire race owes existence to her. Well, apparently, me bragging about my standing it my small little coven had reached her, and she wanted to meet me. Naturally, how could I refuse? When a stronger vampire knocks, answer the door, I guess. When I met her, I was scared stiff. History itself stood there in front of me. A creature who could survive ages. It was all I could do not to laugh at the absurdity that I dared to call myself Queen of Vampires. After introductions were taken care of and I stopped freaking out, Lord Scarlet offered me the chance of a lifetime. I was to be her successor to lead the younger generations into the great tomorrow I envision for us all, where we don’t fear those who fear us. Strange, isn’t it? Vampires know fear. believe it or not. It’s probably obvious how I replied to her.” Another pause. With every sentence spoken, Myst drew nearer and nearer to the present, where things grew more complicated. “During my coronation, I was given the blood of two Elders as well as Queen Scarlet, solidifying my role as well as tethering Reikon Kyuuban existence to my own soul, as Queen Scarlet’s blood overwhelmed my own, empowering me, just as I had been empowered the night I awoke my blood-given right. I can’t delve into too much about it, as it is our greatest weakness. I hope you understand that much. Shortly thereafter, there was an attack, executed by a vicious gang of, I know you won’t believe me, but a gang of werewolves. I had to break my vow the night of the attack to save a young girl’s life. Well, after the attack, we met the the youngest among the Elders, who offered to train the child just as Kain had trained me. During their training sessions, I had to ask Kain and Lord Scarlet what they knew, because I figured the wolves were after something...but then, they revealed something. A Quincy had survived the war that sank Atlantis twelve thousand years ago. So...that’s where I stand right now. I’m stuck in a three-pronged Cold War. How about you, what have you been up to my friend?” Having finished speaking, the vampiress helped herself to tea, glad she was able to sum up her situation. Now that her tale was told, the curiosity of her friend’s exploits was growing. Nothing amused and excited her more than the story of the only human she would ever care for, and for now, today would be only a day for stories. Stories and tea that is. He allowed her to finish her tale without interruption, nodding when appropriate and giving her encouragement as necessary. When she was finished, he tried to say something to break the silence but what could he say in this situation? His mind was reeling at the implications. Quincy were the hated enemies of the Reikon Kyuuban? Such a thing was... entirely possible now that he gave it more thought. The Quincy were originally enemies of Hollows; corrupted souls twisted into monsters who prey on human weakness. In a way, its not all that surprising, spirits that hunted humans, would have become the natural enemy of the Quincy, and given their... tenacity, it is to be expected. But to meet the progenitor of her people, and be made her heir? That was... His mind fumbled for a moment trying to grasp at an appropriate metaphor. He failed. The statistical probability, let alone the circumstances that would lead to such an event were astronomical. About as likely as facing and then defeating a babylonian demon bent on transcending into a godlike entity. He mused. If that weren't enough the looming war between werewolves and vampires nearly made him choke on his drink. To think that decades of pop culture, contemptible novels, movies and franchises were actually right. But news of a Quincy surviving the fall of Atlantis, that was what truly captured his attention. Atlantis. Said to have been an advanced civilization that nearly ruled the world but were cast down by the gods for their hubris. Magic, technology, with ancient and terrible power lost in abysmal depths forever a legend in the world. Now there was possible proof, a remnant of the era, and they were an enemy to the Reikon Kyuuban. He did not envy the position of his friend. Smiling reassuringly at Myst, Ryuichi told her. Everything. He explained the loss of his power, the investigation into the mysterious deaths, tracking down the demon Abraxas with the help of the PSDA. He told of her his failures, how his arrogance nearly led to the end of the human world. He explained their journey through the Tower of Babel, the eventual confrontation with Abraxas, and his defeat. He told her of the palpable fear he felt, the sheer corruption the arrogance had nearly inflicted on him as he rose to a height of power he had never once felt in mortal life. He paused briefly to collect himself as he recounted the heroic sacrifice of his friend Armstrong and the anguish he felt at letting yet another person down. He was brutally honest with her, his fears, his failures, his hesitance. It was an outpouring she would have never expected of the normally cool headed Ryuichi. But even so, these revelations made him appear... so very human. As if battling a Babylonian demon wasn't astounding enough, the reversal of the ritual and the creation of what could only be considered an angel was another. The eventual fusion of this angel with ADA and her changes. The changes he was going through. Self-reflection, reexamination of his own ambitions and goals. He left nothing out. At the end of his tale, his drink sat there unfinished, and cold. His expression however was neither weary nor anxious. It was none of the emotions Myst expected someone to have at the end of such a fantastical tale. He was calm, serenely calm. Despite the tragedy, the abrupt changes both to his companion and himself, he exuded an aura of such calm Myst could feel her own anxiety fading away. It was an expression Myst had not once seen on his face in all the times they had met. It was strange to see such a thing on him. But it was fitting. Myst listened closely, finding the story fascinating. She had to admit, if anyone other than Ryuichi had told her the Tower of Babel or even a demon of the era managed to continue to exist into the present time, she'd scoff at the notion. The change in her friend's mannerisms and the softened countenance he bore were all the proof she needed to believe in his words, to believe his story. She hated the feeling growing inside her, a mild anger that Ryuichi had gone and pulled a stunt that could have ended his life without even once asking for her help. Deep down, she knew that it was his fight and his alone. If she had interfered, even to protect him, it would have no meaning, nothing would have changed. They both had to do what they did to get to this point, and after a moment, that anger subsided as she realized Ryuichi had to fight the demon alone in order to grow up, the very thing she had never been able to do. Trapped by her own hubris, she envied the Quincy Prince. He had changed so much, while all she had done is undergo a supernatural blood transfusion, inherited a fractured kingdom and turn a defenseless girl into a killer. Her mind flashed back to her first meeting with Ryuichi. His humanity is the true difference between us, it always has been. "Befriender of vampires, killer of demons. Is there nothing you cannot do?" she said, masking her thoughts with humor. "In all seriousness Ryuichi, you've changed so much since I last saw you, and now I understand why, You persevered where most men would crumble, who stood where the best warriors would run. The fact you came up with a means to overcome a monster far more powerful than anything I can imagine, is impressive to say the least."